SMART BUY
A rich, smooth style, delivering cherry, plum, iron and tobacco aromas and flavors. Balanced, with a solid line of tannins providing support. Sangiovese and Merlot. Drink now through 2025. 12,500 cases made; 4,700 cases imported.
MENU
|
![]() |
WINE LOCATOR
SEARCH
|
Founded in 1961 by Dino Carletti, the Poliziano estate is a perfect example of how a relentless quest for perfection has achieved remarkable results. Starting with only 54 acres in the commune of Montepulciano, the estate has now grown to over 640 acres under the direction of Dino’s son, Federico Carletti. Federico is an agronomist, but he prefers to think of himself as a farmer because he is convinced that great wines originate in the vineyard. In addition to his superior knowledge of the vineyards, his enthusiasm for his land and creating a superior product are infectious.
Carletti’s work at Poliziano estate has always been focused on achieving perfection with as little intervention as possible. While this sounds counterintuitive—it has worked. Over the years, he has eliminated less favorably positioned sites and replanted where the soil and climate were optimal. The selection of clones—many from the estate’s own original plant material—the planting layouts, rootstock choices, pruning methods and training systems are all meticulously chosen. Dense plantings, but only up to a maximum of 2,000 plants per acre, are harvested parcel by parcel in every vintage at Poliziano. This is to pay respect to the different terroirs that exist in Montepulciano. Today, Poliziano produces more than 83,000 cases from about 400 organically farmed acres in Montepulciano, nearby Cortona and coastal Tuscany's Maremma region. Most of it is Sangiovese. Solar panels power more than 20% of the winery. In 2021 the estate was certified organic. In 2019 and 2021 respectively, Francesco and Maria Stella, Federico’s children, joined him at the winery as essential advisors ready to interpret and face both current and future challenges.
In the winery, the same attention to detail is in place, with multiple selections and the use of an optical sorter which allows for small-batch vinifications. However, for the top-end cuvees, Carletti prefers to rely on the human hand to sort. Wood regimes are chosen with an eye to preserving the fruit in the wine, not overpowering it. Multiple container sizes and varieties of oak complement each parcel that ages in the gravity-fed winery.
|
LOCATIONWINERY: Montepulciano, Tuscany VINEYARD: Montepulciano, Tuscany; Cortona, Tuscany VIEW IN GOOGLE MAPS REGION DETAILS |
|
![]() SEPTEMBER 2021
Poliziano "Le Caggiole" Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG 2018
![]() 90
JULY 2022
Poliziano Rosso di Montepulciano DOC Toscana 2020
![]() SMART BUY A rich, smooth style, delivering cherry, plum, iron and tobacco aromas and flavors. Balanced, with a solid line of tannins providing support. Sangiovese and Merlot. Drink now through 2025. 12,500 cases made; 4,700 cases imported. 94
APRIL 2021
Poliziano "Le Caggiole" Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG 2016
![]() Le Caggiole is fresh and lively, with chiseled tannins and lifted floral scents reflecting the vineyard's eastern exposition and sandy, marine-based soils. First produced as a single-vineyard wine in 1988, it was reintroduced in 2015 after 20-year hiatus. le Cagguike's subtle elegance provides a fascinating contrast to Poliziano's darker, more powerful Vino Nobile from the clay-laden soils of the Asinone vineyard. 94
AUGUST 2023
Poliziano "Le Caggiole" Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG 2020
![]() This is really refined and savory with a lightly mineral edge to the zesty oranges, nutmeg, sage and berries. Juicy and intense on the palate with fine tannins and a vertical yet ethereal finish. Excellent focus with a tight grip at the end, even though the finish goes on and on. Drink now. 92
FEBRUARY 2023
Poliziano "Le Caggiole" Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG 2018
![]() The 2018 Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Le Caggiole lifts up with a display like human catnip. A pleasant air of vanilla custard accentuates sweet smoke, grilled sage, cocoa and rum-soaked cherries. It’s silky and polished in feel yet finessed with an almost weightless aura, showing decidedly ripe plum and hints of candied citrus to balance. The 2018 finishes long and gently tannic, with inner tobacco and sweet herbal tones lingering incredibly long. While the nose is a bit candied in personality, the 2018 possesses fantastic harmony within. I'm very interested to see what a few years of cellaring might do. 94
FEBRUARY 2021
Poliziano Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Asinone DOCG Toscana 2017
![]() Aromas of ripe black-skinned fruit, menthol and French oak form the alluring nose. On the firm, full-bodied palate, tightly knit, close-grained tannins accompany ripe Marasca cherry, orange zest, roasted coffee bean and star anise. It's densely structured but also has a weightless vibrancy. Drink 2023–2029. 91
APRIL 2021
Poliziano Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG Toscana 2017
![]() This wine's flavors of rich cherry and plum are supported by ripe, round tannins, giving it a polished profile. Smooth and spicy, it's a bold young wine that can stand up to hearty winter fare. 92
OCTOBER 2023
Poliziano Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG Toscana 2020
![]() The 2020 Vino Nobile di Montepulciano is dark and rich in the glass. Camphor and pine hints lift a burst of cherry and plum sauce. This is silky-smooth and elegant, with cooling minerality and crisp red fruits that cascade throughout. It finishes long and staining with a spicy twang and gently grippy tannins, punctuating the experience well. Poliziano has captured the ripeness of the vintage in a beautifully balanced manner. This is terrific. |